bdrake529

That video doesn't count as it's Ludo flying and that man-bird hybrid has hollow bones. Brian Drake

I've been quite impressed with how easy it is to get very cool angles with the GoPro Hero. Unfortunately, the video quality is horrific (I'm an HD snob now), so I've not considered it anything more than a cool toy. Could this change that? http://www.pitchengine.com/gopro/gopro-to-launch-new-wearable-hd-camera-from-the-skies-at-outdoor-retailer/18503/ (credit to Jarno for posting on his WWWN). Anyone played with this camera yet? Reviews? Release says it'll be $299. I just got a CX100 for $439. I'd imagine the lens and imager (Exmor) is much higher quality on the CX100, so I'm not sweating my purchase at this point. But if the lens/imager is half-way decent on the GoPro, and it shoots in 1080p, it could be an interesting contender due to its smaller size and thus, easier ability to mount in creative locations. Brian Drake

Already done (well, not 100, but 71). Jhonny "Medusa" replaced everyone on the 71-way with himself for a school project. It was quite funny. Brian Drake

I think this is a good point and should be added to the self-policing mindset of the community. People are ostracized by the BASE community for publicly posting video of uh.... exits with legal ramifications..., or naming such sites online. Though "burning" an object can happen to even the most careful jumper, those who have been determined to be reckless or even intentional burners are at least scolded, often shunned, and in more extreme cases.... well retribution is quite nasty. So if you're doing things that could bring the FAA hammer down, at least don't publicly post video (Vimeo and YouTube allow private video posting). If the community feels these public videos endanger the rest of us (via FAA response), then put some substance behind your bluster. There are non-regulatory ways to "punish" and "deter" those who taunt the FAA. Same with the bad wingsuit instructors out there. If they've done bad and you're pissed about it, start the "wall of bad instructors" thread and put some effort into exposing them to the judgment of the community. Brian Drake

With that (on subject) intro, I think I can get one jab in here before I'm told to go to the bonfire... That's pretty much how every government intervention goes. Pretend there's a problem, usurp power to "fix" the "problem", unintended consequences result creating an actual problem, blame the new problem on not enough intervention then rinse and repeat... Brian Drake

The Tonfly boxes are good quality but much cheaper (about $91). I have a Tonfly box for my HC5, and I have no complaints. Have 2 CX100 boxes on order which I was told will take 7 weeks to get. Brian Drake

+2 Brian Drake

Please explain what gave you the idea that someone felt "wronged" for calling around. Brian Drake

Thanks for posting the complete video James. From your POV, I can't quite figure out what the flight plan was. Valery had his knees pretty far bent (relatively), then suddenly took off like a rocket, just seconds before pull time/crash time. Was he hoping to surf the terrain for the entire crater and expected there to be enough altitude left in the center for pull time? Because, while you did your job as camera flyer (he's kept in frame), your POV camera doesn't really convey this as an impressive stunt. Again, not criticizing your camera work as that's not the problem. I just don't understand what Valery was going for (visually). If you could explain, that'd be appreciated. Glad you're ok (compared to what could have been). When I saw you a few weeks ago in Dro, it was hard to tell you'd been in such a severe collision (ignoring your stylish exoskeleton) since you moved around just fine. Peace, Brian Drake

First the T-Bird, then the X-Bird which is a T-Bird with an XS tailwing, correct? I've also heard of the R-Bird and Jade's crowing about his new S-Bird (which he claims is much faster than his X-Bird). Are those T-Birds with Raptor and SuperMach leg-wings (respectively)? What's the breakdown on these new suits? Brian Drake

Taya, In addition (or before) to posting your presentation, could you please post a picture from the 71-way with the new grid applied? Thanks, Brian Brian Drake

Pretty much everything Chuck said. Brian Drake

That is a valid point. I don't see that as "hypocritical" per se. If an instructor advocates 200 in 18 months, and a country recommends say 300 in 18 months (just making that up), it's not "hypocritical" for the instructor to go with the number he personally believes in. You may disagree with that, but it's not hypocritical. Hypocrisy is declaring one thing and doing another. To stick with 200 is consistent. Brian Drake

I don't get it. DSE is an advocate of a 200 jump minimum for wingsuits. The email you posted clearly says 200. What's your point? Brian Drake

http://www.bird-man.com/index.cgi?n=skydivers&q=instructors Brian Drake

From the Phoenix-Fly website page http://phoenix-fly.com/pfi.htm: Brian Drake

Woah... are you ok? What happened? Was this physical altercation in response to the WSI proposal (as is implied)? Hope nothing bad happened. Civil disagreement on this subject doesn't negate respect and friendship and though we may "not give a shit" about fatalities and bad instruction, I, for one, give a shit about your well-being. Brian Drake

Ed, you are MUCH too kind and though I appreciate the sentiment, it's hyperbole. I'm no giant. I'm still a fledgling, clumsily trying to follow in the footsteps of those who are truly giants in this sport. I'm actually also very impressed by guys like you. When I met you, the AFF student, you had a one track mind: I'm going to fly wingsuits. When I saw video of your first flight not long (relatively) after, it was very satisfying to see you achieve your goal. Brian Drake

I never jump with stabilization turned on. The completely uncompressed (or rather Apple Intermediate Codec, I know it's not "uncompressed") footage works great for me. Sure, it's not perfect, and some shots work better than others. But I don't experience any retinal rivalry and can watch over and over without any eyestrain. From a distance of about 4-5 feet from the screen, I get a strong 3D effect. I've had people who are afraid of heights stop watching because the sense of depth overwhelmed them. So I think I'm on the right path. At least for my non-professional application of this technology. But I'm still new to this and figuring a lot out. This BASE^3 segment shared was a first attempt at "broadcasting" what I've had fun showing people in person. As I get more experienced at the technical setup, and flying camera better, the result will be better. I'm also experimenting with different colored glasses to preserve color values better. As Jarno pointed out, if I had my own controlled environment (dual projectors), I could get "perfect" 3D. But for mass-distribution, colored glasses are the only thing that makes sense. Brian Drake

I went to Europe and all I got was a Team Ill Vision shirt. But I don't even have that since I had to use it as a field bandage. Sorry Avery, it was either ruin the t-shirt or bleed out. Ok, the scar on my arm isn't the only thing I brought back. I did get some decent video too. If anyone's interested, I posted it (in 10 parts) here: http://www.vimeo.com/album/107542 Start with "Euro BASE June 2009" clip and then use the playlist on the right to watch the remaining segments in order. Or watch them in your own order. Or don't watch at all. It won't hurt my feelings. The BASE³ segment is my first (presentable) experiment with 3D (anaglyph) videography. You'll need Red/Blue (or Red/Cyan) glasses to view. You can find them cheap online (a few bucks on Amazon, or less than a buck if you search elsewhere) or Google how to make your own. As explained in the notes for that video, Vimeo compression degrades the 3D effect, so best to use the temporary (until July 11) download of the source video (in the bottom right of the page). Anyone know a site that will permanently host a 900mb file for free? Enjoy. Brian Drake

Since this request (in various forms) has been put forth by several people now, I'm starting to wonder if it's being intentionally ignored. An "inconvenient question" perhaps? I don't consider the "putting your head in the sand" cliche a substantive answer either (if that is the official response). And if the train metaphor isn't going away, we'd like to see what copy of the schedule you're all looking at, cuz some of us aren't convinced one is on the way. Yeah... I'm at work on a Saturday instead of the DZ. Laugh it up. I'm not. Brian Drake

Under a new system, such a person would be in danger of losing their WPI rating, correct? But how would USPA know? Someone would have to report them, wouldn't they? If someone is motivated enough to end someone else's wingsuit teaching career by reporting them to the USPA, why can't they simply out them publicly in the current arrangement? No one is preventing a "BAD Wingsuit Instructor - Avoid these people" thread from popping up here on DZ.com, or a "Wanted" style poster being put up at the DZ. Wingsuit instruction is usually sought out by the student and if the student is heads-up enough to check if the prospective instructor has an official WPI badge, isn't it reasonable to expect them to spend a few minutes online checking the "wall of bad instructors" thread to prevent being taught by an unskilled or irresponsible teacher? Brian Drake

No? When you stated "Self regulation hasn't worked. At all." and I asked for support for this statement, you replied with 2 fatalities and the vague statement "There are more...". So if 2 fatalities is proof that "self-regulation hasn't worked. At all.", isn't it fair to infer from the construction of your statements that you're claiming a USPA-sponsored program (i.e., not self-regulation) would lead to fewer fatalities? And if there are only 2 being presented as the negative consequence of the current situation, then less would be 1 or 0. Since "no one is claiming...eliminate fatalities", we can then conclude that you're claiming the proposed program would result in 1 fatality? Please clarify. And please also explain how those 2 fatalities were attributable to "self-regulation". Did not both Race and Dan know ahead of time the 200 jump min. requirement? Weren't both jumpers turned away from other DZs/FFC instructors and told to come back when they had the required experience? Spot, I've read in other posts of yours that you agree each young man was 100% responsible for his tragic end. How does 100% leave room to claim responsibility is also shared by "self-regulation"? The reserve repack cycle is indeed "regulation", from the FAA no-less. Yet I know several people that haven't had their reserves repacked in years. They simply pencil-pack when they need to. Should, God forbid, any of these people ever suffer tragic consequence due to a defective reserve, regulations will have been impotent to save them from their own decisions. There is no way to ensure regulations are 100% followed, and those who choose to ignore recommendations, requirements, and regulations, can always find a way to slip through. At that point, isn't the responsibility theirs alone? Brian Drake

Could you please elaborate? (I.e., provide evidence for this assertion) Brian Drake

Could you please explain this inevitability? Because Jay Stokes wrote an editorial where he floated the idea? Or is there something more substantive that leads you to this conclusion? Brian Drake